CG 119: 3 vs 1

It seemed they had taken his words to heart because as soon as the words left Kai's mouth, Zhi-Zhi tucked himself into his shell and shot forward like a cannonball.

Well, that's a surprise. Zhi-Zhi's never been one to make the first move.

With Zhi-Zhi having the highest cultivation level here. The tortoise was the one he needed to watch out for.

Reacting quickly, Kai swung Miststrike. The weapon connected with Zhi-Zhi's shell, sending the spirit beast flying across the training ground. As Kai lowered his weapon, he noticed his hand trembling from the impact.

Damn, there's some serious force behind that attack. If that had hit me...

Before Kai could finish the thought, movement from both sides grabbed his attention. Chen Wei, to his right, was slamming his foot into the ground.

"Earth Spike Barrage!" Chen Wei shouted.

The ground before him rippled, and suddenly, spikes of stone erupted from the earth, racing towards Kai.

Simultaneously, from Kai's left, Liu Wei traced patterns in the air. "Howling Gale Fist!"

The air around his fists condensed, forming swirling vortexes that shot towards Kai.

Attacking from both sides, eh? Not bad.

Without missing a beat, Kai took a deep breath and roared, "Thunder Voice!"

The sound that left his mouth was less a shout and more a crash of thunder. The shockwave rippled through the air, causing both Chen Wei and Liu Wei to stagger. Their techniques faltered, the earth spikes crumbling and the wind vortexes dissipating harmlessly in the air.

Not wasting a moment, Kai channeled qi into his legs. In a flash of blue light, Kai vanished, reappearing instantly in front of a dazed Chen Wei. Miststrike glowed with a soft blue light as Kai activated one of its special abilities.

"Hydro Slash!"

A blade of pressurized water extended from Miststrike's tip, slicing towards Chen Wei's abdomen. The attack connected, and Chen Wei stumbled backward, clutching his stomach as blood seeped between his fingers.

He'll be fine, Kai reassured himself. I made sure to stock up on healing pills before this.

Just as Kai was about to press his advantage, he felt something wrap around his legs. Looking down, he saw thick roots emerging from the ground, quickly climbing up his body.

Zhi-Zhi! Kai's eyes narrowed. He'd almost forgotten about the spirit tortoise.

Reaching into his sleeve, Kai pulled out a seed and brought it close to his lips and whispered, "Wake up, little one."

The seed stirred in his hand then in an instant, it grew into a mass of writhing vines that attacked Zhi-Zhi's roots. The two plant-based techniques wrestled for dominance, allowing Kai to break free.

No sooner had Kai regained his footing than he sensed an attack from above. Using Lightning Step once more, Kai vanished, narrowly avoiding a gust of wind that sliced through the air where he'd been standing.

"Soaring Eagle Strike!" Zhi-Zhi's voice rang out.

Kai reappeared a few meters away, only to be caught off guard by another attack.

"Tempest Palm!" Liu Wei shouted, his hand coated in swirling wind as it struck Kai's chest.

At the last second, Kai managed to activate Iron Skin, his body hardening just as the attack landed. Even so, the force sent him skidding backward, leaving shallow cuts across his chest.

Despite the pain, Kai couldn't help but smile. Interesting. Liu Wei has the lowest cultivation, but he's the first to actually land a hit on me. Even if it's just a scratch.

Kai's eyes narrowed as he reassessed the situation. His opponents were starting to work together, timing their attacks. He couldn't beat all three at once without a plan.

Liu Wei, I can probably overpower with most of my techniques. Chen Wei, I'll need Miststrike to keep him down. But Zhi-Zhi... that shell is going to be a problem. Kai's gaze fell on the Root Grasping Vine slithering back into his sleeve. That might be my best bet for Zhi-Zhi.

As Kai looked up, he noticed Chen Wei had finished speaking to the others. It seemed the young disciple had taken on the role of tactician. Kai's brow furrowed as he watched Zhi-Zhi leap into the air, only to be caught by Liu Wei, who held the spirit tortoise's shell like a shield.

Oh, using my own trick against me.

Deciding to take the initiative, Kai raised his hand to the sky. "Burning Sky Judgment!"

A fiery sigil blazed to life in the air above them, raining down flames upon his opponents. To Kai's surprise, Zhi-Zhi's shell expanded, growing large enough to cover all three of them.

"Well, that's new," Kai muttered.

As the flames dissipated, a gust of wind cleared the smoke. Liu Wei burst through, Zhi-Zhi's shell on one arm like a shield, his other hand wreathed in wind qi as he thrust it towards Kai's chest.

Kai smiled, meeting the attack with his own. "Flame Palm Strike!"

The two techniques clashed, creating a shockwave that kicked up dust around them. Kai's higher cultivation level and more advanced technique gave him the edge and Liu Wei began to falter. But then, Kai's eyes widened as he noticed qi surrounding Zhi-Zhi's shell.

Before Kai could react, a beam of concentrated wind shot from the shell, striking him squarely in the chest. The force sent Kai flying through the air.

As he tumbled through the sky, Kai caught sight of Chen Wei above him, the disciple's hand transformed into a massive earthen palm poised to slam Kai into the ground.

Time to turn this around.

"Heart of Thunder!" Kai roared.

A deafening boom echoed across the training ground as a shockwave of thunder erupted from Kai's chest. Chen Wei, caught in mid-air, was stunned by the attack and fell to the ground. Below, Liu Wei and Zhi-Zhi were similarly affected, momentarily paralyzed by the thunderous assault.

Kai landed on his feet, wincing as his Iron Skin technique shattered, revealing his injuries. Blood trickled from the cuts on his chest, and bruises were already forming where Liu Wei's attack had landed.

Iron Skin has leveled up to Level 4!

You have gained 50 XP.

Ignoring the notification for now, Kai focused on his next move. "Blaze of Renewal!"

Flames erupted around Kai's body, but instead of burning him, they seemed to seep into his skin. His wounds began to close, the bruises fading as if they'd never been there.

Another system message popped up:

Blaze of Renewal has leveled up to Level 2!

You have gained 50 XP.

Kai looked at his opponents, who stared back in surprise. All that work, and he'd already healed himself. He couldn't help but smile.

"I have to hand it to you," Kai said. "Your teamwork is impressive. I underestimated you." His smile turned predatory as he continued, "But now, it's time I got serious."

Without warning, Kai thrust his hands outward. "Fiery Lotus Bloom!"

Dozens of flaming lotus petals materialized in the air around him, each one as sharp as a blade and burning with intense heat. With a gesture from Kai, the petals shot towards his opponents.

Liu Wei raised Zhi-Zhi's shell, using it as a makeshift shield against the fiery onslaught. Meanwhile, Chen Wei slammed his palms into the ground. "Earth Wall!"

A thick barrier of stone erupted from the earth, protecting Chen Wei from the worst of the attack.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Kai activated Lightning Step once more. He appeared above and behind Chen Wei, Miststrike's blade extended as he plunged downward.

A system message flashed before Kai's eyes:

Lightning Step has increased to Level 2!

You have gained 50 XP.

Ignoring the notification, Kai thrust Miststrike into Chen Wei's shoulder, driving the young disciple to the ground. Chen Wei cried out in pain, his free hand grasping at the weapon lodged in his flesh.

"You'll be fine," Kai assured him. "Just don't try to get back up. This will be over soon."

Placing his hand on Miststrike's staff, Kai channeled his qi. "Static Charge."

Electricity raced down the length of the weapon, flowing into Chen Wei's body. The young disciple's muscles seized up, effectively immobilizing him. If the young disciple struggled too much, the lightning would zap him again. It would last for a minute, which was all Kai needed.

One down, two to go, Kai thought as he turned to face Liu Wei and Zhi-Zhi.

The pair had managed to clear away the last of the fiery lotus petals. Liu Wei was breathing heavily, while Zhi-Zhi's eyes darted nervously between Kai and the fallen Chen Wei.

Kai raised his hand to the sky, channeling a massive amount of lighting qi. The air grew heavy with the scent of ozone as dark clouds began to gather overhead.

"Lightning Hammer Strike!"

Slowly, a massive hammer made of pure lightning took shape in the sky.

Liu Wei's eyes widened in alarm. "Master," he called out, his voice tinged with fear, "aren't you going too far?"

Kai shook his head, his expression serious. "Don't worry. It won't be enough to penetrate Zhi-Zhi's shell."

Zhi-Zhi's eyes narrowed at the lightning construct forming in the sky, but he gave a nod.

With a thunderous crash, the lightning hammer plummeted from the heavens, striking Zhi-Zhi's expanded shell. The impact sent a shockwave across the training ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

As the dust settled, Kai saw Liu Wei standing unharmed, Zhi-Zhi's shell now shrunk to cover only his hand. Before either of them could react, Kai's Root Grasping Vine shot out, wrapping around Liu Wei and separating him from Zhi-Zhi.

The spirit tortoise let out a roar, summoning his own roots to combat Kai's technique.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Kai appeared behind Liu Wei. "Sleep," he whispered, delivering a qi-enhanced chop to the back of Liu Wei's neck. The young disciple crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Turning his attention back to Zhi-Zhi, Kai frowned. The spirit tortoise's wood techniques were overpowering his Root Grasping Vine with surprising ease.

I shouldn't be surprised. He's almost at the Foundation Establishment realm, after all.

Realizing he needed a new strategy, Kai began to form a bow and arrow using his Qi Condensation skill. As the construct took shape in his hands, he channeled lightning qi into the arrow.

This had better work, Kai thought as he took aim at Zhi-Zhi. Mentally, he commanded his battered Root Grasping Vine to create an opening.

The plant responded, suddenly surging upward and catching Zhi-Zhi off guard. As the spirit tortoise was pushed into the air, his soft underbelly was exposed for a brief moment.

It was all the opening Kai needed.

The lightning arrow flew true, striking Zhi-Zhi in the chest. Electricity coursed through the spirit tortoise's body, causing it to cry out in pain. "I give up! I give up!"

Kai let out a sigh of relief. If that plan hadn't worked, he wasn't sure what else he could have done to beat Zhi-Zhi. In a real fight to the death, Kai wasn't certain he could have killed the tortoise before running out of qi.

Zhi-Zhi gave up too quickly this time. I know he had more fight in him.

Reaching into his storage ring, Kai pulled out some healing pills. He walked around, handing them out to the others. When he got to Chen Wei, Kai carefully removed Miststrike from the young disciple's shoulder.

"I'm sorry about that, Chen Wei, you took the brunt of my attack," Kai said as he helped the earth user sit up.

Chen Wei shook his head, wincing a little as he swallowed the pill. "No, Senior Brother," he said. "This was a good exercise. I know our enemies won't go easy on us in a real fight."

Kai clapped him on the back, smiling proudly.

As the healing pills did their work, the four cultivators sat in a circle. They began to discuss the battle, talking about what worked and what didn't.

"Liu Wei, that combination attack with your Wind Palm and Zhi-Zhi's surprise wind beam really caught me off guard," Kai said, rubbing his chest where the attack had landed. "It was clever and effective."

Liu Wei's eyes lit up at the praise. "Thank you, Master. I've been working on incorporating more of my qi into the Wind Palm technique. And the idea to combine it with Zhi-Zhi's attack just came to me in the moment."

I surprised even myself with that wind beam,” Zhi-Zhi nodded. "I've been practicing it in secret, but I wasn't sure if I could pull it off in actual combat."

"Well, you certainly did," Kai chuckled. "That combination had me flying through the air before I knew what hit me. It's exactly the kind of unexpected teamwork that can turn the tide in a real fight."

Kai turned to Chen Wei. "Good job trying to capitalize on that moment. When I was blown into the sky, you immediately tried to take advantage with that earth palm attack. That kind of quick thinking is crucial in battle."

"Thank you, Senior Brother, I saw you airborne and thought it might be my only chance to land a solid hit."

"That's exactly the right instinct," Kai agreed. "Always be ready to seize any opportunity, no matter how brief.”

Zhi-Zhi grumbled, his shell shrinking slightly as if trying to hide. "I should not have tried to take you on alone at the beginning. It was foolish and prideful."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Kai replied. "Sometimes taking the initiative can catch an opponent off guard. Your attack was unexpected, which is valuable in itself."

Liu Wei nodded in agreement. "Plus, your bravery inspired us to act more boldly too. I might not have attempted that Wind Palm combination if you hadn't set the tone."

"Speaking of which," Chen Wei chimed in, "that trick with your shell was incredible, Zhi-Zhi! I had no idea you could expand it like that. When did you learn to do that?"

Zhi-Zhi's head emerged a bit more from his shell, a hint of pride returning to his voice. "It's a new technique I've been developing in secret. I call it 'Aegis of the Tortoise God'. This was actually the first time I've used it in combat."

"Well, it certainly came in handy," Kai praised. "That expanded shell defense against my Burning Sky Judgment was impressive. If you can teach that technique to other spirit beasts with shells or carapaces, it could be a game-changer in large-scale battles."

Zhi-Zhi's eyes widened at the suggestion. "I... I hadn't thought of that, Senior Brother. Do you really think it could be that useful?"

"Absolutely. Don't underestimate the value of a good defense, especially one that can protect multiple allies at once."

As the discussion continued, Kai noticed that while the disciples were freely offering each other advice, they seemed hesitant to critique his performance. He smiled, deciding to address the issue directly.

"You know, I'm not infallible. Feel free to give me some feedback too. What could I have done better?"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Zhi-Zhi spoke up, his words coming out in a rush. "Well, for starters, your initial defense against my shell attack was sloppy. If you had angled Miststrike just 15 degrees to the left, you could have deflected me with 30% less effort. And don't even get me started on your use of the Burning Sky Judgment. The timing was off by at least..."

Kai couldn't help but laugh as Zhi-Zhi continued his critique. Encouraged by Zhi-Zhi's outburst, Chen Wei and Liu Wei began to offer their own observations, albeit more tentatively.

"Your Lightning Step is impressive, Senior Brother," Chen Wei said, "but you tend to reappear in predictable locations. If you varied your positioning more, it would be harder for enemies to counter."

Liu Wei nodded in agreement. "And while your Thunder Voice is powerful, it leaves you open for a moment after you use it. A skilled opponent might be able to exploit that opening."

Kai listened, nodding at each point. "These are all excellent observations," he said. "I'll definitely work on-"

Suddenly, Kai's words cut off as his eyes widened. On his map, a massive green spot had appeared, moving towards him from behind at an incredible speed.

That's way too fast for Qi Refining or even Foundation Establishment, Kai thought, his body tensing.

In one fluid motion, Kai spun around, Miststrike materializing in his hand as he blocked a sword strike aimed at his back. The clash of weapons rang out across the training ground, startling his companions.

Kai found himself face to face with a young man, perhaps no older than twenty. The newcomer had jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore into Kai's soul.

Name: ???

Level: Early Nascent Soul Realm

Age: 20 years

Nascent Soul? At twenty years old? That's... that's impossible!

As he stared into those unfamiliar blue eyes, only one name came to mind.

Wang Lin?